'Hometown Teams' to be exhibited in Weirton

July 3, 2013

WEIRTON - The West Virginia Humanities Council is sponsoring a state tour of the new Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit "Hometown Teams," and it will be on exhibit at the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center Aug. 17-Sept. 27, 2014.

The exhibit examines the role of sports in American culture - past and present.

"Sports are a big part of what we do and who we are," said Robbie Davis, Smithsonian Institution project director. "Our love of sports begins in our hometowns. Hometown sports can be more than just games, they can become cultural touchstones with the ability to unite us and shape our values." The six

The Weirton museum is one of several sites in the state to host the exhibit, and will receive Humanities Council funding to develop companion displays and supplemental programs focusing on Weirton-area teams.

Items the museum may include in those Weirton-specific displays could include uniforms, game programs, tickets, equipment, trophies, schedules and records and team photographs. Supplemental programming could include lectures, films or discussions that examine Weirton's sports traditions.

Technical assistance will be provided by Humanities Council and Smithsonian staff. Marshall University history professor Kat D. Williams will serve as the scholar for the tour of "Hometown Teams" in West Virginia.

"Hometown Teams" will present visitors with perspectives on sports in popular culture, views of famous stadiums and arenas, audio of athletes discussing their local sports traditions, as well as information about mascots, marching bands, cheerleaders, game day traditions, memorabilia, foods and tailgating, player/coach relationships, sports equipment, uniforms, parades, rivalries, pep rallies and athletes who broke racial, gender or physical barriers in sports.

There will also be a section on the growth of alternative and extreme sports.

The Hometown Teams tour is made possible through the Museum on Main Street program, which is an alliance of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, state humanities councils across the country, and cultural organizations in small, rural communities.